SEAHO Report - Summer 2019 - 16

SEAHO Feature Articles
in a meeting from a colleague after you announce a failure or mistake, quick to judge, but not quick to optimize
the experience or provide constructive feedback. It looks like not sending an email out because you want to
make sure every line is perfect and someone else approves it, for fear of criticism or hurt feelings. It looks like
new professionals not being able or willing to say "no." It looks like mature professionals' disappointment when
a new professional does say "no." It looks like burnout, anxiety, depression, and apathy.
A culture of perfectionism is actualized in various ways and often influenced by who holds the power in our
workplace, be that a supervisor, a director, or our students. Maybe it's you. We all play a part in the culture and
climate of our campus and office communities. Not only is our culture of perfectionism affecting our wellbeing,
but it is also impacting the next generation of young leaders. "Psychologists Thomas Curran and Andrew Hill
found that unhealthy perfectionism has surged among young adults, with the biggest increase seen in those who
feel pressured by the expectations of others" (Simmons 2018). Changing the culture starts with us naming the
practices and patterns that create unhealthy work habits or model an unrealistic lifestyle to our students. What
are we going to do about it?
We were extremely fortunate to be paired with our RELI faculty cluster leader, Shylan Scott. She was able to
directly address our struggle with perfectionism through sharing and being vulnerable about her own journey.
Shylan understood our desire to be perfect because she once was a perfectionist, but through life experiences
came to realize that perfection is not attainable. As Shylan shared these life experiences with us individually
and collectively, she gave us so many memorable messages that we hold close to us as we continue to combat
perfectionism. To dismantle the unhealthy culture of perfectionism in our field, provided are some of these
notable messages that we would like to share, so you can practice and do your part as well:
* Manage expectations. Are you expecting something of yourself that isn't obtainable? Do others have
expectations of you that are beyond what you are willing to give (personally and professionally)? Trying
to meet these unrealistic expectations drive professionals to waste time trying to perfectly meet these
expectations.
* You are a person beyond your position. Your career is important, but it isn't everything. Find community
outside of your position and the people you work with. This community will help you balance workaholism
and consume time that one would otherwise spend perfecting their work.
* Focus on your current position. Entry-level professionals tend to look towards the future a lot. The reality is
that this role is vital to the foundation of our career. Focus on learning all you can and being the best in your
current position. More than likely, you won't have a role like this ever again in your career.
* You are enough! Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop comparing and questioning who you are as a person and
a professional. Be confident in what you bring to the table and know you are perfect just the way you are.
We challenge housing professionals to seek a mentor that has experience in the areas in which you want to
develop. Seek a mentor that is willing to be authentic, transparent, and vulnerable in sharing experiences that
will transform your view and challenge you holistically. For us, it was being challenged in our thoughts and
desire to be perfect. From this article, you can see that our views of perfectionism have drastically changed.
Finding a mentor that is the right "fit" may seem difficult, but start putting yourself in spaces with seasoned
housing professionals that want to aid in the growth of younger professionals (like RELI!). Shylan was truly the
perfect fit for our cluster, and we are forever grateful for her opening our eyes to the reality of perfectionism.

SEAHO Report Summer 2019

SEAHO Report - Summer 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Summer 2019